I live somewhere where Brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, spinach, etc were not available until recently. I grew up watching American kids' disgust towards them on TV. So I assumed that they tasted really bad. I had my first taste of them only within the past decade. And the experience couldn't be further from my expectations. Brussels sprouts and broccoli are some of my favorite veggies. I find both of them as pleasant as meat (personal experience, not an exaggeration). Even the common spinach [1] is palatable in its raw form, as is kale. I really do believe that their tastes changed drastically in the past two or three decades.
[1] We have our own varieties of 'spinach'. Or at least that's what we call them. However, they aren't edible in their raw form. And one very important observation is that they taste so much better and rich when they're homegrown. The difference is so significant that you can tell apart homegrown and market-sourced spinach just from the taste of their cooked dishes. There is something certainly wrong with the commercially farmed spinach. It's as if they're starved of nutrients.
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